


Dark Side of the Honey Moon

by DNAchemLia



Category: NCIS
Genre: Case Fic, Gen, Handfasting, Paganism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-22 15:12:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7443940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DNAchemLia/pseuds/DNAchemLia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team must investigate after a midsummer celebration turns deadly. In the meantime, Tony learns something surprising about his partner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [McMhuirich](https://archiveofourown.org/users/McMhuirich/gifts).



> Genre: Case-fic, set between seasons 8 and 9
> 
> NFA WEE fic for McMhuirich. Prompt: A Midsummer Night's Murder.
> 
> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of their respective copyright holders. No infringement intended. The original characters and places mentioned are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to those living, dead, or undead is completely coincidental.
> 
> A/N: The Honey Moon (yes, two words) is the full moon closest to the summer solstice (also known as the Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon, or Green Corn Moon).

**Dark Side of the Honey Moon**

 

Chapter 1

 

In the grey pre-dawn of the summer solstice, Ryan Quinn stepped from his old army-style tent and stretched, enjoying the feel of freedom after his brief stay within the canvas confines of his temporary abode. He ran his hands over his dark green, silver-embroidered vest--a present from his cousin--and carefully checked to make sure it was straight and unwrinkled. He adjusted the sleeves of his white linen shirt, smoothed his black linen trousers, and checked the laces of his black suede boots. He combed his fingers through his hair and carefully replaced the crown of oak leaves he had worn for last night’s celebration. Everything was in order. He was ready.

 

He walked slowly towards the crest of the hill where a small group of people was already gathered. A man and a woman, both dressed in white closed-front, hooded robes greeted him with smiles which he returned, albeit with a touch of nervousness. A second couple moved forward to greet him and the woman gave him a warm hug, whispering words of encouragement in his ear before they returned to the circle where three more couples stood with the white-robed pair in front of a large flat stone that was supported on either end by two smaller stones. The top of the flat stone was adorned with flowers, oak leaves, and fruit, and among these sat a silver chalice, a small silver box and trowel, a small cauldron, a silver bell, several carved wooden miniature statues, a censer, an elaborately carved length of thin wood, a flat stone with a carved pentacle, and small black-handled double-edged knife. A roughly-made broom, adorned with ribbons and flowers lay across the front of the stone, and in the center of the stone a set of braided cords in green, silver, and white lay coiled around a green glass chalice. A large circle of small brightly colored shells surrounded the altar, with stone bowls each containing a different colored candle marking the four cardinal points around the circle.

 

A flicker of movement drew the young man’s attention and he turned to see two women approaching. The leader of the small procession was dressed in a pale green, long sleeved gown with a matched embroidered cape. Her blonde hair fell in curls around her face and she wore a crown of woven flowers with several strings of small seashells cascading down from circlet placed carefully on top of her head. Her suede slippers made almost no noise on the dewy grass as she approached, her smile lighting up her face. The woman that had been following her walked into the circle, placed the paper that she had been carrying on the altar and then joined the others while the first woman met him on the eastern side of the clearing.

 

The white-robed priest raised the bell and rang it three times, signalling the couple to approach the circle. They walked around the outside once before stopping at the eastern point of the circle. The priest and priestess stood in front of them while four of the remaining women moved to stand at each of the cardinal points of the circle  and one woman and the men remained behind the altar.

 

The priestess stepped forward and addressed the couple.  “ With full awareness, know that within this circle you are declaring your intent before these witnesses. The promises made today and the ties that are bound here greatly strengthen your union and will cross the years and lives of each soul’s growth. Do you seek to enter this ceremony?”

 

“We do.”

 

The young couple crossed the threshold of the circle and stood in front of the altar. The priestess nodded to the woman standing at the northern point of the circle. She lit the green candle, held it to the sky and began to speak in a voice that was soft but still carried.

 

_ “We call upon the powers of Earth, and welcome you to this circle. Grant us your endurance and your strength on this day of celebration.” _

 

She stepped forward and placed her candle on the altar. The woman standing at the east point lit her yellow candle, held it to the sky and spoke with the same tone as the first before placing the candle on the altar.

 

_ “We call upon the powers of Air, and welcome you to this circle. Grant us your creativity and intuition on this day of celebration.” _

The third woman, standing at the southern point, lit her red candle and raised it to the sky.

 

_ “We call upon the powers of Fire, and welcome you to this circle. Grant us your passion and energy on this day of celebration.” _

 

After the third candle was placed, the woman standing at the western point lit her blue candle and held it to the sky.

 

_ “We call upon the powers of Water and welcome you to this circle. Grant us your empathy and emotion on this day of celebration.” _

 

After the last candle was placed on the altar, the men and women joined hands, forming a second circle around the couple, the priest and priestess, as the couple joined their right hands.

 

_ “We gather to celebrate this joining and rejoice. May the next turn of the Wheel bring them love and compassion, abundance and prosperity, fertility and life.” _

The priestess removed the coil of cords from the altar and placed one end over their joined hands. 

“Sloane, will you share in Ryan’s pain and seek to alleviate it?”

The young woman gave her partner a teary smile and replied, “I will.”

 

“Ryan, will you share in Sloane’s pain and seek to alleviate it?”

 

He returned the smile. “I will.”

 

The priestess wrapped the cord around their joined hands once. “And so the binding is made.”

 

As the ceremony continued the priestess challenged their dedication and intent to share laughter, burdens, dreams, anger, and to treat each other as equals, wrapping the cords around their hands after each set of questions.  Finally the end of the cord hung between their hands, and the priestess reminded them that the cords symbolized the promises they had made to each other before tying the two ends together. She then asked them to exchange rings. 

 

The priest handed them each a silver ring with a delicately wrought celtic design, which each then placed on their respective partner’s left ring finger. He helped them each cut off a lock of their hair and placed it inside the silver box. They bent together and used the offered trowel to bury the box at the center of the circle. The priest then brought the green chalice to them and each drank from it. Finally they each repeated their own vows to each other while clasping their left hands together over their bound right hands. 

 

“Ryan and Sloane, on behalf of all those present, and by the strength of your own love, I pronounce you married. You may seal your vows with a kiss.”

 

They closed their eyes and leaned towards each other, their lips meeting just as the sun crested the horizon of the longest day. For a brief moment, they shared a connection of pure bliss.

 

Which was shattered by the crack of a gunshot. 

 

Ryan felt Sloane gasp as a lance of pain shot through his body. His eyes snapped open to stare into her wide, blue, and suddenly pain-filled eyes and his gaze drifted to her chest, marred by a large dark hole gushing red. He froze, unable to accept what he was seeing. Two more gunshots echoed across the valley and he turned to see first the priest and then the priestess fall, red blooming across their chests. 

 

Screams and the sounds of running feet nearly drowned out his whispered litany of denial as he watched Sloane slowly sink to the ground, their still-bound hands pulling him down with her. He had only a brief moment to take everything in before his chest exploded in pain and the ground swiftly rose up to meet him. The last thing he saw was his bride’s crown fall from her head, blocking his view of her glassy, fixed gaze before everything went black.

 

TBC...

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Gear up."

Those familiar words brought the attention of the occupants of the bullpen to their leader, striding purposefully towards his desk. The three agents rose from their own desks, scrambling for their guns and bags as Gibbs grabbed his own gun and headed for the elevator. They managed to slip inside just as the doors closed and the tension in Gibbs' stance made Tim wince.

"Where to, Boss?"

"Shenandoah."

Tim winced again. It was going to be a long day.

"Hope you brought some calamine, McItch," Tony snarked with barely hidden glee, earning him a head-slap from Gibbs. "Sorry, Boss."

Tim just rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I can avoid any poison ivy, Tony."

"First time for everything."

" _Why_ are we headed to Shenandoah?" Ziva asked as she none-too-gently smacked Tony in the arm.

"Multiple homicide."

"Great," Tony muttered. "So much for a quiet week."

"You are never quiet, Tony," Ziva remarked, earning her a glare as McGee snorted softly in agreement.

"It helps me think. All part of my process."

"Process later," Gibbs snapped as the elevator reached the evidence garage. He handed Tony a slip of paper with address of their destination. "Take Ziva with you. McGee and I will meet you there."

"Got it."

Two hours later they turned onto a dirt road just outside the border of Shenandoah National Forest and followed the uneven, winding track until the reached a small farmstead. A police car blocked the path and one of the officers guarding the entrance stepped up to the sedan to speak to Gibbs.

"You the NCIS people?"

"Yep."

"Glad you're taking this one. It's a mess." He gestured towards another officer who was talking to an obviously angry older woman. "Rawlins will take you out to the site."

Gibbs nodded and drove up to the house. After putting the sedan in park and killing the engine he stepped out of the car, followed almost immediately by McGee. The MCRT truck pulled up a moment later and the other two agents quickly joined them as Gibbs headed towards the officer. The woman noticed their approach and turned her anger gaze towards the group.

"You the feds?"

"Yes, ma'am. NCIS. Special Agent Gibbs." He tilted his head towards the others. "Agents McGee, DiNozzo, and David."

"Are you going to find out who did this? Because this bunch-" she gestured at the officer, whose name tag indicated he was indeed Rawlins, "-doesn't seem all that interested."

Rawlins sighed. "Mrs. Murphy, I already told you, it's not our jurisdiction." She snorted. "If it's even possible, I'm sure they will do their best to figure it out."

"What can _you_ tell us, ma'am?"

She sighed. "Not much. Gunshots woke me up at dawn. I immediately called 911." She shot Rawlins a dirty look. "They told me it was probably hunters. Or fireworks. I told them this property is posted, no hunting and no trespassing, so no matter what they needed to get out here, especially since I had guests on my property and I knew it couldn't have been them."

"Why not?"

A sad look crossed her face. "You'll see."

"How many guests?"

"Thirteen."

He turned to Rawlins. "Where are they now?"

"Seven dead. Three wounded that were sent to the hospital. The rest went with them and I have an officer keeping an eye on them until you get there. One of the survivors told me they were all Navy personnel so that's why I called you."

Gibbs glanced at the house, which definitely wasn't big enough for thirteen guests. "Where were they staying?"

"They were camped out near the edge of my property, near the National Forest."

"Why were they camping out?"

The woman hesitated before answering. "They were celebrating the beginning of summer. And they were having a...wedding."

"Is this the first time they were here?"

"No. It's an annual thing. Well, except the wedding, of course."

Gibbs caught Tony's smirk out of the corner of his eye and turned to glare at the senior agent. The smile vanished and Gibbs returned his attention to the woman.

"Names?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't know all of them personally. Friends of friends, you might say."

"What about the ones you do know?"

A sad expression appeared on her face. "Laurel and Tyree Brennen. They were the...organizers. Adamaris Duncan." She sighed. "Poor Ryan Quinn and his girlfriend, Sloane Flannery."

Gibbs turned to Rawlins. "The others?"

"I'll get you a list."

"You do that." He turned back to Mrs. Murphy. "Do you know of any motive for what happened? Any of those people have enemies?"

"No. They were _good_ people, Agent Gibbs. Despite what _some_ people might think."

"I thought you said they didn't have enemies. Who thinks they're not good people?"

"There's a difference between thinking and doing something about it. I don't know of anyone who hated them enough to kill them. Figuring that out is _your_ job." She turned and walked back to the house, slamming the door behind her.

The silence following the woman's reaction was interrupted by the arrival of Ducky and Palmer, with the former once again berating the younger man's navigational skills. Gibbs managed not to roll his eyes and asked Rawlins to take them to the crime scene.

They followed a well worn path through the forest and after nearly ten minutes of hiking they arrived at a wide clearing with a breathtaking view of the valley. A view that was marred by the scene in front of them. Tony let out a soft curse at the sight of seven bodies strewn across the field in front of them before he raised his camera and began to take photos as the rest silently surveyed the scene.

Two of the bodies were nearly on top of each other, while two others were splayed nearby. The rest, one man and two women, seemed to have fallen as they were running away from the two couples in the center of the clearing.

"Multiple shooters, you think?" Tony asked, noting the dark stains on their backs.

"Or one efficient one," Ziva remarked.

McGee remained silent and grim-faced as he studied the victims, and after Tony finished taking the first photos they moved forward into the clearing. As they walked past the remains of a bonfire they saw a line of small objects on the ground surrounding the couples. After a closer look realized they were seashells. Their attention was then drawn to the stones positioned near the bodies and the material on to of the largest and flattest stone.

"What's all this?"

"It's an altar," McGee replied, his voice tight. "For the ceremony."

"Ceremony? You mean the wedding?"

"I believe this was a handfasting," Ducky added. "It's a pagan ceremony to celebrate the joining of a couple, either as an engagement or for marriage. So yes, technically it was a wedding."

"Why are their hands tied together?" Jimmy asked, indicating the younger couple.

"Part of the ceremony. The cords represent the bonds of matrimony. 'Tying the knot', if you will. It's a rather fascinating tradition, more recently revived by neopagans, sometimes to symbolize an engagement where the couple spends a year and a day together, and-"

"Hope this explanation won't take a year and a day," Gibbs growled.

"Oh, yes, of course." Ducky bent to examine the younger woman before pulling on gloves and gently rolling her onto her side. "I'd say the entrance wound was from the back, through and through." He returned her to her original position before turning his attention to the man. "It also appears to have hit him as well, but he was shot a second time from the front, also through and through."

"High powered weapon. Looks like a sniper."

"Yes, most likely."

"Shooting from the east," Ziva observed, her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun, now nearly overhead. "Should we…?"

Gibbs nodded and called back to the officer still standing at the edge of the clearing. "Rawlins, we need to expand the search."

"I'll call in some more people," he called back and headed back down the trail.

"As soon as they get here, Ziva, find that sniper's nest."

"Yes, Gibbs."

"Why are they dressed like that?" Tony wondered out loud as he stared at the man's elaborate attire. "It looks like something out of one of the ElfLord's online games." He turned to McGee with a grin that quickly faded when he caught the younger man's angry expression. "What's eating you?"

McGee said nothing. He stalked off and started photographing the other bodies. After a glare from Gibbs, Tony headed over to help as Ziva started to sketch the scene. He stopped at the altar to photograph it and study its adornments before he reached out to pick up one of the objects. He was stopped by a strong hand around his wrist.

"Don't."

"It's evidence, McGee," he snapped as he tried to free himself of the man's grip.

"They're also sacred to the people that put them there. Just...would you walk into a church and start grabbing stuff from the altar?"

"If it was evidence, yes."

"Does it look like anything here was actually used in the crime?"

"There's a knife."

"And the victims were shot. It's an _athame_. It's probably not even sharp."

"Still pointy. What's an _athame_?"

McGee finally let go of his wrist and stepped back, a flash of uncertainty crossing his face before he quietly replied.

"It's used for focusing energy. It represents fire, one of the four elements, and it's also used for, uh, casting the circle. For protection."

"Don't think it worked this time," Tony remarked, earning him a angry glare from his partner. "Sorry." He pointed to a carved stick. "What's that? It looks like a wand or something."

Tim sighed. "It _is_ a wand. It represents air, another element."

"You seem to know a lot about this stuff," Tony offered an opening, but McGee said nothing, clearly expecting to be mocked for his interests.

"What else can you tell us, McGee?"

Both men turned to find Gibbs standing a few feet away.

"Boss, I, uh…"

Gibbs was clearly resisting the urge to head-slap the younger agent. "Would anything they were doing here get them killed?"

"No. They weren't doing anything wrong, Boss. This is... _was_ a peaceful celebration. Nothing more."

"Ducky mentioned pagans. Is that what these people were?"

"Yes. Wiccans, more specifically."

" _Witches?"_ Tony exclaimed, the humor returning to his voice. Twin glares shut him up.

"Some prefer to be called that, yes," McGee admitted.

"So they were casting spells?"

Tim sighed. "It's not like the movies, Tony. Wicca is a religion, one that's recognized by the U.S. military." He paused significantly and Gibbs nodded. "They prefer to worship outdoors, and the summer solstice is a sabbat, er, a holiday for them. That's probably what they were doing here in addition to the handfasting."

Gibbs studied the altar for a few moments. "This stuff still needs to be packed up so it can be returned, even if it isn't part of the case. No way to be sure of that until we check it out."

McGee's stiff stance relaxed slightly in resignation. "Yes, Boss."

"Let him pack it up, DiNozzo."

"Yes, Boss."

"Anything else you can tell me, McGee?"

After considering the question for a few moments, McGee shook his head. "No, Boss. I can't imagine anyone killing multiple people for this. Not in this day and age."

"Stranger things have happened."

"Right…"

The two younger men returned to their tasks while Gibbs went back to observe Ducky. Nearly half an hour later, Rawlins' men arrived and Ziva went with them to try and find the shooter's original location. The rest of the team had finished processing the scene and were preparing to transport the bodies back to the van when Ziva returned, slightly breathless. She held up two evidence bags.

"We found the nest, Gibbs. The sniper policed his brass, but he missed one." She handed him one of the bags.

"Military grade sniper rifle. What else?"

She glanced at McGee, who was staring at the other bag she held in her hand. "We believe the sniper left this behind." She handed the bag to Gibbs. It held a wrinkled piece of paper, but the short statement printed on it was still clearly visible.

"Exodus 22:18. Duck, do you know-."

"I do," McGee replied, his anger returning. "' _Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.'"_

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Tony surreptitiously studied his partner as McGee guided the sedan back towards civilization. Gibbs had sent them to the hospital to interview the witnesses, and Tony understood the unspoken command from the lead agent: find out McGee's issue and if it will affect the case.

They had finally reached the main highway when Tony decided to break the silence. He had made a few offhand comments about the case when they had first started the drive, but McGee hadn't risen to the bait. It was time to get to the bottom of the younger man's reticence.

"So, McGee…" Tim's gaze flicked towards Tony for an instant and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"What?" His tone indicated he expected the worst.

"You seemed to know quite a lot about this witch stuff."

A muscle in McGee's jaw twitched but he kept his eyes on the road. Finally, after several long moments, he spoke.

"Wicca. It's a religion."

"Yeah, I got that. I was just wondering why you know so much about it. Have you been casting spells in your spare time, Probie? Throwing around a little hocus pocus?" Tim sent him a full-on glare before his gaze shifted back to the road. "Or maybe research for a new book? Is LJ Tibbs going to-"

"Stop."

Tony did, startled by the genuine fury in Tim's tone. He waited in silence to see if McGee would calm down and answer him, and after several minutes the look of anger on the younger man's face faded but he did not respond to Tony's question. Several more minutes passed and they were near the edge of the closest town when McGee finally did speak.

"You know when you're in college, you start seeing the world beyond what you knew." Tony nodded. "You start...rebelling against your upbringing...a little, at least.

"My parents are pretty conservative. I wasn't given much of a choice on attending church, but after years of listening...I realized there were things being...preached that I didn't...necessarily agree with. So I started looking for something I could. Wicca was one of those paths I explored."

"Really?"

McGee shot him a dirty look. "Explored, Tony. Very thoroughly, but that was all."

"So you're not…"

"No."

"OK. So why did you get so worked up at the scene?"

McGee sighed. "Just because I decided it wasn't the right path for me doesn't me I don't respect those that do follow that path. They were just trying to peacefully celebrate. No one deserves to be gunned down like that. They weren't hurting anyone. How would you feel if someone walked into a church wedding and opened fire?"

"I'd be mad, and I'd want the one who did it brought to justice."

"And that's all I want."

"Fine. Better make sure Gibbs sees that before he decides to bench you."

"I haven't given him a reason to bench me."

"Yet."

Ignoring the comment, McGee guided the sedan towards the local hospital and when they finally arrived, he parked the car and turned off the engine before turning to Tony.

"I can do this, Tony. Trust me."

"I sure hope so, McGee. Come on."

Both men exited the car and Tony led the way to the hospital's information desk. After flashing their badges and explaining what they wanted she directed them to the 3rd floor. They rode the elevator up to that floor and when they stepped off they immediately saw a police officer standing guard outside one of the rooms. They walked up to him and showed their badges again.

"We're here to talk to the victims that were shot early this morning. What can you tell us?"

An uncomfortable look crossed the guard's face.

"One of them-" he checked his notebook. "-Gavyn Mercher, didn't make it." He checked his notebook again. "Edward Kimball is still in surgery and Daniel Burke was just moved to his room a little while ago." The guard tilted his head towards the room behind him. "His wife, Nora Burke and the other two who weren't injured, Adamaris Duncan and Iola Kimball, are in there with him. We collected...what they were wearing and it's been dried and packed for you." He glanced back at the room and gave Tony a conspiratorial smile. "Looks like someone went on a witch hunt, huh?"

Tony immediately put a restraining hand on McGee's arm and gave the officer his best Gibbs glare. The smile vanished.

"That information is part of an open investigation, and we don't want it getting around. Is that clear, Officer-" he checked the man's nametag. "-Stallings?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. And let me remind you that the victims were members of the United States military. Show some respect."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

Tony knocked on the door before opening it and sticking his head in. "Mrs. Burke?"

A woman with short, curly brown hair and striking blue eyes looked up, tearing her gaze away from the sleeping man lying on the bed in the center of the room. Another woman was seated next to her, their hands clasped together while a third woman was seated in a chair on the far side of the bed. Both also looked up but quickly turned away.

"Yes?"

"Agents DiNozzo and McGee, NCIS. We're investigating what happened."

A weary look crossed the woman's face before she gave a slight nod.

"Yes, of course. Please, come in."

Tony opened the door wider to allow both agents to step through before closing it behind him. He saw the woman's eyes widen as she looked past his shoulder.

"Tim?"

Tony turned to look at his partner and saw a similar expression on the younger man's face.

"Nora?"

Tony stepped to the side and glanced back at the woman before returning his attention to McGee.

"You two know each other?"

Mrs. Burke ignored him and gave McGee a weak smile. "It's been a long time."

"Y-yes. It has." Finally McGee turned to Tony, a slight blush rising in his cheeks. "We met when I was in college."

"Haven't seen you since you graduated," Nora remarked and McGee nodded. "And now you're with NCIS?" He nodded again. "You got what you wanted. That's...wonderful."

"Uh, thank you."

_Awkward,_ Tony thought before he decided to end his partner's discomfort, at least for now.

"Can you tell us what happened?"

She turned her attention to the man on the bed, her grief showing in her expression. "We were celebrating my cousin's...wedding."

"The handfesting?"

"Hand _fast_ ing," muttered McGee.

"Yes, sorry. Handfasting."

She turned to stare at Tony for several moments, clearly trying to gauge his mood. He gave her one of his most sympathetic smiles and she sighed.

"Yes. Ryan and Sloane had gone to the justice to the peace yesterday but they wanted to have a… formal ceremony."

"And where were all of you when-?"

"Someone decided to have 'a little witch hunt'?"

"Ada!"

The woman sitting by herself glared at Tony. "I've got ears. I heard what that cop out there said."

The third woman let out a soft sob and Nora put an arm around her shoulder. "Was this because we…?"

"We have to explore every possibility," McGee replied grimly.

Before they could continue there was a knock at the door and it opened to reveal a weary-looking doctor in scrubs. "Mrs. Kimball?" The woman seated next to Nora looked up. "I need to speak to you. In private." She nodded and rose from her chair to follow the doctor out into the hall. A few moments later a wail of anguish reached their ears and the two remaining woman rushed out, quickly followed by Tony and McGee. Mrs. Kimball was sitting on the floor against the wall, her hands over her face, sobbing uncontrollably. Nora immediately crouched down to offer comfort as Tony turned to the doctor.

"What happened?"

He just shook his head and sadly walked away.

"Damn it."

Nora and the other woman helped Mrs. Kimball to her feet and guided her back into the room, closing the door behind them. A few moments later the other woman came back out and confronted the two agents.

"We need to talk." She marched down the hall to a semi-private alcove and waited for them to join her.

"OK, Ms.-?"

"Sergeant Adamaris Duncan, USMC."

"Right. Sorry. What can you tell us?"

"You're actually going to investigate?"

"Absolutely, ma'am. My boss won't let this one slide, and neither will the rest of my team."

"Your boss?"

"Special Agent Gibbs."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I've heard of him." She relaxed slightly. "He'll investigate."

"You don't trust the police much, do you?" McGee asked softly.

She remained silent for several moments before answering. "I've met good cops and bad cops. I've met cops ready to condemn us, some who looked the other way when someone attacked us…" She gave McGee a small smile. "I've even met a few that walked the path with us." He smile faded. "It's not so much a matter of trust as...low expectations."

"We won't let you down, Sergeant Duncan."

"What do you need to know?"

"What happened prior to the shooting? Starting with when you got to the site."

"We arrived and set up our tents, then started our celebration for Litha at sunset."

"Litha?"

"Summer solstice," McGee replied and blushed slightly when both of them turned to look at him.

"Yes, the summer solstice. Bonfire, food, mead and wine...gathering supplies and renewing our magick. One of the few times of the year the entire coven can get together."

"When are the other times?"

"Samhain...Halloween. And Yule, if we can. That's the winter solstice."

"Have you been to that site before to celebrate?"

"Many times. The owner of the property is...sympathetic. We do some work for her in exchange- cleaning up the grounds, that sort of thing."

"And the wedding?"

"Ryan and Sloane planned last year to have the handfasting today. The traditional 'year and a day' engagement."

"Who else knew you would be at the site last night and this morning?"

"No one that I know of. We… we're not very open about our activities...or our faith. No one that I work with at the Pentagon knows, other than Rhys and Mari Sayer. They were with us." Sad eyes met Tony's. "They died at the scene."

"What about the rest?"

"Laurel and Tyree retired last year. They worked at Quantico and I know they weren't 'out'. Ryan, Sloane, Morgan and Gavyn are...were stationed at Pax River. They shared an apartment off base. Ed and Iola... Ed taught at the Naval Academy. Iola's not military. She teaches at a middle school in Annapolis."

"Nora and her husband?"

"Dan works at the Naval Research Laboratory. Nora also works there as a civilian."

"So how did you all...get together as a group?"

She smirked. "The Internet, of course."

"And no one outside of your…"

"Coven."

"Coven, right. No one else knew about your gathering last night and this morning?"

"Not that I know of." Her eyes narrowed. " _Was_ this a hate crime? Were we targeted because we...because of our religion?"

"As McGee said, we have to explore every possibility."

"But you haven't asked about other possibilities. Not yet, at least, which means…"

Tony glanced at McGee, who raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly as if to say _your call._

"OK. We did find a note at the scene possible left by the shooter...or shooters. It was the number of a Bible verse."

"Let me guess: Exodus 22:18."

"Yeah. How did you know?"

She snorted softly, anger flaring in her eyes. ' _Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.'_ Not too hard to figure out."

"Alright. Has someone made threats to anyone in your group lately?"

"Again, not that I know of. If anyone had I'm sure they would have mentioned it. We… we looked out for each other."

"Understood. What about other problems that someone might have mentioned?"

"Not for a long time. There's always the occasional argument at work or with a neighbor. We're just like everyone else in that respect, I imagine. Nothing stands out, though."

"But within the 'long time'?"

"Well, Sloane went through a bad break-up before she met Ryan. Before she met any of us, actually. She mentioned it once, but never gave us a name."

"And the reason for the break-up?"

"She didn't say. I think it had something to do with her transfer to Pax River. The ex-boyfriend didn't want her to stay in the Navy. She did. Of course, she never directly said that, but I got the impression..."

"I see." Tony turned to McGee to see if he had any more questions. He shook his head.

"Thank you for you help, Sergeant Duncan. We'll probably need to speak to you again, along with Mrs Burke and Mrs Kimball."

"I understand. Agent DiNozzo, Agent McGee?"

"Yes?"

"Please find who did this. I...I'm an orphan. These people...they're my only family. I'll help in any way I can, but please...they deserve justice."

"We'll do everything we can to make sure they get it."

"Thank you."

She headed back towards the room where her friends were waiting as the two agents headed for the elevators. One they were inside, Tony turned to McGee.

"What do you think?"

"I think she's telling the truth."

"Yeah, me too. This is going to be a bad one."

"It already is."

"Yeah, yeah it is."

"And there's one more thing Sergeant Duncan said that was true. These people deserve justice."

"Yeah. They do."

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"What do ya got, Duck?" Gibbs asked as he walked through the doors of Autopsy. Ducky was seated at his desk, typing, while Palmer was nowhere to be seen. The older man turned to Gibbs with a weary look on his face.

"An unholy mess, Jethro." He rose to his feet and walked over to the first table. "I was able to recover only one bullet, the bullet I suspected passed through Petty Officer Flannery and hit Petty Officer Quinn." He pointed to the body of a young man currently occupying the table. "All of the other victims here suffered from through-and-through wounds. The two unfortunates that Mr. Palmer is retrieving from the hospital morgue might give me more."

"The bullet you did recover?"

"I sent it up to Abigail for testing."

"What else can you tell me?"

"The victims all appeared to be in good health. There was alcohol present in their blood, but since they were celebrating that is not unexpected. I saw no signs of chronic use."

"OK, so a group of healthy people all died from gunshot wounds."

"Yes. Not terribly helpful, I realize. The position of the wounds tells us where they were when they were shot. Petty Officer Flannery was shot in the back, as I expected. Petty Officer Quinn and both of the Brennans were shot from the front. The remaining three were also shot in the back."

"Are we looking for one shooter or two?"

"Nothing I've seen indicates disparate angles of fire. I'd say you're looking for one shooter."

"Thanks, Duck."

He headed back to the elevator and when it opened he saw Vance standing within. He stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the next level. He wasn't surprised when Vance flipped the switch to stop the elevator's upward movement a few moments later.

"Something on your mind, Leon?"

"Nine servicemen and servicewomen are dead. I'd say that's worth my attention."

"We're working the case. I'll let you know as soon as we have something."

"I need to know, Gibbs. Was this a terrorist attack or a hate crime?"

"Someone hated them enough to kill them, Director."

"Don't be obtuse. Was the attack motivated by the victims' religious practices?"

"Someone wants us to think that."

Vance eyed him suspiciously. "But you don't."

Gibbs shook his head. "Doesn't feel right."

"We need to rely on something besides your gut, Gibbs."

"It's served me pretty well so far."

Vance sighed. "Find me some answers. I've been trying to keep this under wraps but the SecNav is concerned. He wants to know who else may be targeted."

"As soon as we know, you'll know. We done?"

Vance flipped the switch again and soon they reached the next floor. Gibbs headed to the lab where Abby was leaning over her computer, staring intently at something on the screen.

"What do ya got, Abbs?"

She turned to him, clearly unhappy. "Not enough, Gibbs." She flipped the screen on the computer to show several images of a bullet and a cartridge casing. "Standard issue 7.62 × 51mm M118LR 168 grain boat tail cartridge. Bullet striations match a M24 SWS issued to Gunnery Sergeant Derek Christopher Boyle."

"That's good work, Abbs."

"No, it's not. Because Boyle was killed in Afghanistan two years ago. His rifle was never recovered."

"Damn it. _Someone_ recovered it and sold it on the black market."

She nodded. "So maybe we are looking at a terrorism case."

"Maybe. Anything else?"

"I checked the note for fingerprints, and that was a no-go, but I did find something interesting." She pulled up a picture of the note and zoomed in on the corner. "What do you see?"

Gibbs squinted at the picture for a moment. "Looks like small dents. Bitemark?"

"Yes, it looks like whoever left the note held it in their teeth for a moment. Teeth, mouth, and saliva, which means DNA. I'm running it now. I just hope whoever it was that did this is in one of the databases."

He kissed her temple. " _That_ was good work, Abbs."

She smiled and he left to head back up to the bullpen. When he arrived it was empty, so he sat down to read through the stack of personnel folders, one for each of the nine deceased victims of the attack. By the time he had read through all of them the rest of his team had returned and they were tackling the collection of information they had gathered. They didn't seem to notice when he left to get coffee but by the time he got back they looked ready to report.

"What do ya got?"

Tim put the pictures of the victims up on the screen, but Ziva spoke first. "I interviewed the co-workers and Commanding Officer of Petty Officers Flannery, Quinn, Mercher and Albright at Pax River. Flannery and Quinn did maintenance for research aircraft in the Scientific Development Squadron, while Mercher and Albright worked for the Naval Air Systems Command. Commander Nolan assured me that their were no problems with anyone in their Flights. He claimed they were all good workers and were very well liked." She glanced at McGee. "He did not seem to be aware of their religious affiliation, which they had all listed as 'other'. I searched their apartment off base but I did not find any evidence of threats or other problems. Their neighbors claimed they did not know them well but they seemed to be OK. I did bring their laptops back to the lab. Abby has them but I do not believe she has started looking at them yet."

"DiNozzo."

"I spoke to Rhys and Mari Sayer's C.O.s at the Pentagon, as well as Sergeant Duncan's C.O. Captain Kavanagh and Lt. Col. Reed...said pretty much the same thing as the C.O.s at Pax River. No problems, good workers, well liked. None of them were working on anything highly sensitive or classified that would make them a target of a terrorist attack...other than working in the Pentagon." He, too, took a quick glance at McGee. "Sergeant Duncan was the only one who listed her religious affiliation, the other two used 'other' as well. I searched their apartments and talked to the neighbors. Apparently they're all 'quiet and polite' and no one had a problem with them."

"McGee."

"Pretty much the same for Captain Burke, the Brennens, and Captain Kimballs, Boss. No problems, they didn't advertise their faith, and they were considered to be well liked. Nora Burke's supervisor and Iola Kimball's principal also said the same thing."

"So basically we have nothing."

"I did run a check on Sloane Flannery before she was transferred to Pax River," McGee added as he brought up two new windows on the plasma. "She filed a restraining order against one Griffith Whelan. That was nearly three years ago."

"Reason for the restraining order?"

"She reported that he got violent with her during a confrontation over her impending transfer, and then he started stalking her. No further complaints after she transferred from Newport." He tapped a few keys. "Credit card gas purchase puts him in Virginia the day before the murders."

"Where is he now?"

"Uh, last transaction was at a gas station outside Wilmington. He lives there."

"It's kinda thin, Boss, but…"

"We've worked with less."

"And now you have more," Abby declared as she rushed into the bullpen. "I got a hit on the DNA. It belongs to Griffith Whelan. Misdemeanor conviction in New York for 3rd degree stalking."

"Good enough for me. Call in the warrant, McGee."

"Yes, Boss."

"DiNozzo, David, go pick him up."

Tony glanced at McGee again, whose shoulders had stiffened as he calmly described what they needed for the warrant. "Yes, Boss."

Tony and Ziva left, both sending McGee worried looks before the elevator doors closed. McGee was silent for several moments before he finally met Gibbs' gaze.

"Tony's right, Boss. It's pretty thin."

"Then make it stronger, McGee."

After a moment, the younger man grinned.

"Yes, Boss."

XXX

Tony and Ziva pulled up outside a high-end townhouse just as a man with dark blonde hair was walking down the front steps. He had reached the luxury sedan parked in the driveway before he paused and turned in their direction, his face expressionless behind his designer sunglasses.

"Griffith Whelan?"

An amused smirk crossed his face.

"Maybe. Who are you?"

"Agents DiNozzo and David, NCIS."

A look of surprise crossed his face before he turned and ran back towards the house. In a flash Ziva was after him and tackled him, slamming him against the front door.

"Do you know who I am?" He sputtered as she forced his arms behind him and snapped on the cuffs.

"Under arrest," she replied. "For murder."

He scoffed. "Good luck proving that."

"You left something behind at your sniper's nest." A flash of panic crossed his face before the smirk returned.

"Yeah? You sure about that?"

"I am." She jerked up his sleeve to show a rather nasty looking rash. "And you took something with you. The whole area was covered in poison ivy."

Tony couldn't help but grin as she marched the man to the sedan and shoved him in the back seat.

"Not bad, Agent David."

"I want my lawyer," the man yelled as she slammed the door.

"Yeah, we'll get right on that."

Ziva tossed Tony the man's keys and they walked to the car. He pressed a button and the trunk slowly started to open. Both peered inside and Tony grinned.

"Well, what do we have here?" He snapped on a pair of gloves and lifted a rifle case from the trunk with one hand and a box of ammunition with the other.

"You need a warrant!" The man yelled loud enough so they could hear him through the closed window.

"Already got one," Tony yelled back. "Guess we better crack a window. Do you want to search the house or should I?"

"Be my guest."

Tony grinned again and retrieved his kit from the trunk before entering the house. Ziva pulled the car into the shade and cracked the back windows a few inches, ignoring the stream of epithets hurled at her by their back-seat passenger.

Nearly and hour later Tony returned, clutching several evidence bags in one hand and carrying a laptop under one arm.

"Receipts, pictures, cell phone, laptop. Slam dunk."

"It did not take you that long to collect that amount of evidence."

"Nope."

Ziva smirked. "You trashed the place, didn't you?"

"Just being thorough."

"Good."

He handed her one of the evidence bags which contained a fancy business card. "Think this is his lawyer. Guess we should give him a call." He handed handed her a second bag with a slightly less fancy card. "We'll probably need to call this one, too."

She studied the second call and swore. "But we should probably call Gibbs first."

"Great..."

The two agents stowed the kit and the evidence in the trunk before climbing in the sedan and heading back towards D.C. They ignored the loud threats from the back seat as their prisoner vowed to end their careers and those of everyone involved in their attempt to 'smear' his reputation.

"We didn't happen to bring any duct tape with us, did we?" Tony asked an hour into the trip.

"I am afraid not."

Tony reached over and turned up the radio, partially drowning out Whelan's tirade. Both agents' nerves were considerably frayed by the time they reached the Yard. Ziva escorted Whelan to Interrogation while Tony carried the evidence to the lab. Tim was already there, working on one of the laptops, and he looked up expectantly when Tony entered.

"Here you go, McGee. Time to work you magic." McGee grimaced and Tony winced as he realized what he had said. "Sorry."

"You get everything, DiNozzo?"

Tony turned to see Gibbs entered the lab. "Everything, Boss. But...remember that small problem I called about?" He handed Gibbs the second business card. Gibbs read it and smirked.

"I'll handle it. How much time do you need, McGee?"

Tim was already hooking up the laptop to his system. "Shouldn't take too long, Boss."

"You have an hour." He left, and Tony turned to McGee with a grin.

"Guess some things never change."

"And probably never will."

Tony studied his partner as the younger man's fingers flew across the keyboard. "You got this, Tim?"

For the first time since the case had started, McGee sent him a confident grin.

"Yeah, Tony, I got this."

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The team stood in Observation, watching their prisoner with thinly veiled disgust. The man had been cuffed to the table after he had nearly broken the window by kicking it in a fit of rage but he continued, very loudly, to let them know of his displeasure. Ziva had offered to go in and shut him up but Gibbs had rebuffed her, stating that they need him alive...for a while longer at least.

The door to Observation opened and while the team was not surprised to see Vance enter the room, the person that accompanied him raised a few eyebrows.

"Sergeant Duncan. Are you sure you want to be here?"

She gave McGee a curt nod and walked up to the glass to stare at the occupant of Interrogation.

"That's him? That's the man who killed my friends?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"That's what we're about to find out. McGee, David, with me." The three agents left the room and the remaining occupants lined up in front of the glass to watch the show in Interrogation unfold. As soon as the door opened, Whelan turned to them in fury.

"I'm not sayinging anything until my lawyer gets here." He greeted them with a smug smile. "My very _expensive_ lawyer."

"No problem. We'll talk. You listen." Gibbs and McGee sat at the table while Ziva stood behind Whelan, leaning lightly against the wall.

"That's a rather nasty case of poison ivy," McGee began as he placed a picture in front of Whelan. "Your sniper nest was pretty lousy with it."

Whelan snorted. "So I got poison ivy, so what? Could have come from anywhere."

"Except you also left behind a few things." Gibbs set another picture in front of him. "Like this note. Has your DNA on it."

A flash of fear crossed Whelan's face before the smug smile returned. "Someone could have planted it to set me up."

McGee and Gibbs glanced at each other and McGee shrugged before placing a third picture on the table.

"You policed your brass, but you missed one. Matches the rifle Agent DiNozzo found in your trunk. The _illegal_ weapon you had in your trunk."

"Planted. You have no proof I put it there, much less that I actually fired it."

"Oh, but we do," Gibbs replied. "Our forensic scientists recovered a partial fingerprint on the casing. Seven-point match. Good enough for court."

"No, you couldn't have! I wore gloves." Whelan's mouth snapped shut and Gibbs smirked. "You can't use that!"

"We read you your rights. You signed the form. _Anything_ you say can and _will_ be used against you."

"Lawyer. Now."

"He's on his way."

"Good." Whelan leaned back as far as he could and glared at them, but after a minute or two the smug smile returned. Finally, after nearly ten minutes of silence the door opened and a young man in an ill-fitting suit walked through, carrying a cheap briefcase in one hand.

"Who the hell are you?" Whelan spat as the man set his briefcase on the table.

"Rick Henley. I'm from the public defender's office. Mr. Whelan, correct?"

"Where's Barrett? Barrett Maloney, my attorney?"

"He, uh, he called our office. Requested the we defend you."

"Why the hell isn't _he_ defending me?"

"He mentioned something about...lack of funds on your part."

"Are you kidding me? I'm loaded. Funds aren't a problem."

"Ah, yes, that reminds me." He removed an envelope from his briefcase and handed it to Whelan. "He asked me to pass that along as well."

Whelan snatched the envelope from Henley and tore it open, his face draining of color as he read the letter it contained. When his eyes reached the bottom of the page he froze, the letter falling from his fingers.

"May I?" asked McGee as he reached for the letter but Whelan didn't respond. He plucked it from the table top and started to read.

"Huh. It says here that Mr. Whelan will not longer receive any financial or familiar support, effective immediately." He turned to Gibbs. "He's been disowned."

"Guess Senator Whelan didn't like the idea that one of his kin killed nine members of the U.S. Military."

"Guess not."

"Agents, I'll need some time to speak with my client, and-"

"Get out."

Henley turned to Whelan is surprise. "I was just asking them to leave."

"Not them, you. Get out. I don't need you. Tell the _Senator_ I don't need him either. Go."

"You'll need to sign a release form."

Almost as soon as he had spoken the door open and Tony walked in, carrying a piece of paper and a pen. "There you go," he said as he placed the objects in front of Whelan with a flourish. "Just sign right there."

Whelan grabbed the pen, scribbled his signature on the sheet and flicked the pen across the room when he finished. "Satisfied?"

Tony pulled another pen out of his pocket and scrawled his own signature on the line below. "Come on, Mr. Henley, I'll walk you out."

After both men had left Gibbs opened another folder and started to lay out a series of photos, naming the subject of each as he placed them on the table.

"Lt. Col. Tyree Brennen, USMC. Lt. Col. Laurel Merwood-Brennen, USMC. Lt. Rhys Sayer, USN.

Second Lt. Mari Arvel Sayer, USMC. Captain Edward Kimball, USN. Petty Officer 1st Class Morgan Albright, USN. Petty Officer 1st Class Gavyn Mercher, USN. Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Quinn, USN." Whelan ignored the pictures until he placed the last one on the desk. "And Petty Officer 2nd Class Sloane Flannery Quinn, USN." Gibbs paused for a moment as Whelan stared at the final picture. "Why?"

Whelan snorted softly. "They were there." He looked up to meet Gibbs' furious gaze with a sneer. "Couldn't leave witnesses. Too bad I missed a few, though."

Gibbs slammed both palms on the table and stood to loom over Whelan. " _Why?"_

Whelan flinched but didn't drop his gaze. "They were there, with her, when she betrayed me."

"Betrayed you? She broke it off with you over two years ago. But you couldn't handle that, could you? Quite a blow to you ego."

"She was mine. _Only_ mine. She just didn't understand that."

"So you stalked her," McGee added. "You hacked her email, her online accounts. You figured out where she was going to be, where there wouldn't be too many witnesses."

Whelan shrugged. "If I couldn't have her, no one could, especially not some over-glorified squid grease monkey."

"So why the note? 'Exodus 28:18'? Why leave that behind?" McGee asked, his tone almost as dangerous as Gibbs'.

The man across from them smirked. "A distraction. Figured the cops would be too busy looking for a bunch of right-wing nutjobs, if they even found the note. Didn't really expect that much." His smirk broadened into a grin. "And a little extra fear for anyone I missed."

"As a terrorist…" Gibbs paused a moment to let that designation sink it. "You better get used to a little extra fear." He gathered the pictures and motioned to Ziva, who pulled Whelan to his feet as she uncuffed him from the table and re-secured his hands behind his back. "Enjoy Death Row."

Gibbs strode to the door and threw it open as he quickly moved out into the hallway. Almost immediately a second door open and Sergeant Duncan emerged, moving just as quickly towards the door to Interrogation. She reached it just as McGee, Ziva, and Whelan stepped out into the hall. They stopped and Whelan took a moment to study her before he grinned.

"One of the ones I missed. Sorry, darlin'. Oh wait, that's not what I should say." He leaned closer to her and spoke in a mocking voice. " _Blessed be_."

Sergeant Duncan stared at him, her eyes wide for two seconds before she hauled off and punched him in the face. McGee and Ziva stepped back as Whelan hit the floor with a loud thump.

"Blessed be, _bitch._ "

Whelan took a moment to recover before he sputtered in anger. "Did you see what she did? She _assaulted_ me!"

"I didn't see an assault, did you, Ziva?"

"No, I did not. I did not realize you would be so clumsy, Mr. Whelan, as to fall and hit your face...on the door." She and McGee hauled him to his feet and guided him down the hall. Soon the sounds of his protests faded and Gibbs turned to Sergeant Duncan.

"That kind of goes against your _Rede_ , doesn't it?" Wide, surprised eyes met his. "'Harm none'?"

She stared down the hallway for a moment and shrugged. "Nobody's perfect."

Gibbs chuckled. "Nope."

Suddenly she sagged against the wall and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. After a moment, Gibbs sat down next to her.

"All of that...all of that death, just because some spoiled little rich _bastard_ couldn't get what he wanted?" Gibbs just nodded and she let out a watery chuckle. "You know there's another part to the _Rede_ : the Law of Three. Anything you do comes back to you threefold." Her eyes narrowed in anger. "Can only execute him once."

"Yeah, but where he's going, with a little help...it's a fate worse than death."

She was silent for several moments before she glanced at him sharply. "Did his father really disown him? He's not going to have some overpriced lawyer to get him out of this?"

"As I said, the Senator really didn't appreciate being associated with someone who killed Sailors and Marines...especially since _he_ was a Marine."

She studied him for a moment before she finally gave him a weak smile. " _Semper Fi_."

Gibbs returned the smile as he helped her to her feet. " _Semper Fi_."

XXX

_Epilogue_

A gentle breeze stirred the air, rustling the leaves of the old-growth forest that surrounded a wide clearing. Within the area a small group of people waited as nine rough-hewn coffins were carried towards them one at a time by another small group of men and women in full dress blues. After each coffin had been placed next to one of the nine rectangular holes that marred the clearing, the uniformed men and women retreated to a respectful distance away, out of earshot from the ritual about to take place.

Words were spoken over each of the nine caskets, candles were lit and placed at the eat of each grave, and finally the men and women in uniform were called back to help lower the caskets into the graves. After each grave had been filled and the candles extinguished the men and women headed back through the forest to another clearing which held a small gravel parking lot filled with cars. They nodded solemnly to each other, climbed into their respective vehicles and followed the winding road back towards civilization.

Eventually the group first group, three women and one man emerged from the forest. The man took each of the women's hands in his own, briefly, before stepping back from the group. The last woman gave him a hug in return and whispered something in his ear before all three women climbed into one of the two remaining cars and drove away. The man slowly walked towards the last car, his eyes on the two men and one woman leaning against it.

"Are you OK, McGee?"

Tim met Ziva's gaze and nodded, paused, and then shook his head. "No. Not really."

"What's wrong?"

McGee met Gibbs' gaze and sighed. "I'm...I'm tired, Boss." He glanced at Tony and gave him a sad half-smile. "Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other."

"Wait… Did you just quote _The Green Mile_?" Tony asked as he rested a comforting hand on Tim's shoulder.

"It's a valid complaint, Tony."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"Thanks for letting me come to this boss. Nora asked me to stand in for Dan since he's still in the hospital. Thanks for providing the pallbearers, too."

"Not a problem, Tim."

Tim walked over to a downed log and sat. He was soon joined by the rest of the team.

"How's your friend holding up?" Tony asked and Tim shrugged.

"She says she's taking it one day at a time. They all are." He was silent for several moments before a tinge of pink arose in his cheeks. "I'm thinking they feel like I would if...something happened to all of you."

"Aw, Timmy, I didn't know you cared."

Ziva slugged Tony in the arm and McGee managed a smile at their antics.

"Something else that never changes," he murmured.

Gibbs just chucked. "You ready to leave, McGee?"

Tim took one last look around, enjoying the peacefulness that surrounded him, which brought back memories of a simpler time. A time in his life filled with exploration, questioning, and acceptance. A time that, by his choice, had passed on. He had found his own path...and he couldn't regret it.

"Yeah, Boss. Let's go home."

The End.


End file.
